A new plan from Des Moines Public Schools to offer free meals to all students at more schools! KCCI's Marcus McIntosh is LIVE at North High School with more! The meals are all funded by the US Department of Agriculture. Today we found out there is a need for free meals even when school is out of session. Here at Union Park there are a number of kids playing in the water... Many of them are are waiting for a nutritious meal. Courtesy of Des Moines Public Schools. ========= THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THEY wouldn't BE GETTING A NUTRITIOUS MEAL AT NOON...SO ITS IMPORTANT THEY ARE AVAILABLE. ===== Heisman says in the early 90's about 33- percent of Des Moines students qualified for free or reduced price meals... this year she expects that number to hit 70 percent. =========== IT IS A STARK REALITY THAT WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE AT A LEVEL WHERE PARENTS ARE TRYING TO DETERMINE HOW TO MAKE THOSE FUNDS STRETCH TO PROVIDE THOSE MEALS. ========== Huisman says lunches served here at Union Park is a continuation of what is being done during the school year... Efforts that will almost triple this school year. There are now 35 schools and three pre- schools that qualify for free meals ...up from 13 schools last school year. Schools new to the list include North High School, Callanan middle school and here at continuous calendar elementary school Riverwoods. =========== ========== Principal Traci Shipley says a little more than a week into the school year she could not be happier with how things are going for Riverwoods Families. ============= ====== WE ARE THRILLED ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO OFFER A FREE BREAKFAST AND LUNCH TO OUR STUDENTS ... ============ Shipley knows family budgets are tight. She says having free meals for the entire building is not just beneficial to families falling below the poverty line. ============= ========= EVEN OUR MIDDLE CLASS FAMILIES THAT WERE PAYING FULL PRICE FOR THEIR LUNCHES OR ON A REDUCED FEE ARE BENEFITTING FROM THIS PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY ARE ABLE TO ALLOCATE THOSE FUNDS ELSEWHERE IN THEIR HOME BUDGET. According to Shipley this has no effect on school fees ...they are still on a sliding scale. Des Moines School decided which school qualified for free meals based on whether or not 50-percent of more of the students qualified for free meals. If you want more information or to find out what schools qualify to provide free

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